Parker's Pet
by Leveragelover
Summary: ...and some people in the team just can't handle it.


**A/N: Just a little story that wouldn't leave me alone. I don't own Leverage!**_  
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_Parker's pet_

Nate walked downstairs one morning to see Parker sitting on the floor with a cardboard shoebox and a beige plastic container. Of course he didn't bother to ask what she was doing and went to go start some coffee.

"Hey Nate, do you know what spiders eat?" Parker asked not looking up from the box. "They're not like snakes so they don't eat mice..."

"What kind of spider are you talkin' about?"

"Tarantula" Parker said it simply

"Um probably larger insects and-" It clicked in Nates head. "Parker get that THING out of here!"

"What thing?" Parker looked at him cluelessly. His eyes were impossibly wide and he was white as a ghost. "Azaster?"

"Get your pet tarantula OUT of here!" Nate yelled

"There's nothing wrong with him, look!" Parker took the lid off and let Azaster out. Nate litterally jumped on the counter as it started crawling over to him

"PARKER!" Nate yelled, he was shaking now

Then Sophie walked in. She stepped back slightly when she saw Nate standing on the counter as if he'd seen the dead. "What's up with you?"

"Parker-tarantula-" Nate pointed to ground

Sophie just froze in her place, to afraid to move.

"You too huh?" Parker looked disappointed. "There's nothing wrong with him" Parker picked up Azaster and let him crawl up her arm onto her shoulder.

"Parker," Sophie said in a shaky voice, "please take your pet home before Nate and I both die of fright"

"Okay sorry! I didn't know someone could be that afraid of spiders" Parker huffed and put Azaster back in his box. Just as she was about to walk out she ran into Eliot and Hardison.

"Sorry guys I have to take Azaster home"

"Who's Azaster?" Eliot and Hardison both asked

"My pet tarantula!" Parker grinned and lifted the lid.

Eliot just rolled his eyes while Hardison had a similar reaction to Nate. He bolted out of the doorway down and down the hallway.

"Parker where did you get that?"

"I know a guy" Parker shrugged

"Just take him home Parker"

"Ughh you guys ruin everything!" Parker yelled before stomping out.

**~That night~**

"No Sophie stop it" Nate mumbled in his sleep, "It tickles" he kicked his feet trying to shake the feeling. Suddenly he felt something brush against his face, he assumed it was Sophie. "What Soph?"

Nate opened one eye to look at her. She was still asleep. Then he felt it. Nate looked up to see Azaster staring down at him with his big black eyes. He screamed, not yelled, screamed, like a little girl and bolted out of bed, dragging Sophie with him. She startled awake at his screaming and the sudden drag-out-of-bed movement.

"What the hell Nate" She yelled but stopped when she saw Azaster pattering around on the bed. Sophie let out a hair-raising scream and clutched onto Nate more then he was already clutching onto her. They stood in the far corner of the room, shaking in fright. It was every ones worst nightmare: waking up to find a huge tarantula in your bed. Azaster made a weird clicking growling sort of noise and made itself comfortable on the bed where Sophie had been laying.

"What the hell is Azaster doing here?" Sophie stuttered out in shaky breaths

"I don't know but I was thinking about it and Azaster is basically disaster without the dis"

"Thanks for telling me that Nate" Sophie retorted sarcastically. "You're making me feel so much better about having a bloody tarantula in our bed"

"OUR bed?" Nate looked at her

"God Nate you always get hung up on stuff like that at the worst of times" Sophie huffed

Nate grumbled something Sophie couldn't understand and directed his attention back to the spider. Then one of Sophie's empty shoeboxes caught his eye. He quickly snatched it off the ground and Azaster eyed him.

"Sophie can you do it" He handed her the box

"Why me?"

"I'm deathly afraid of spiders" Nate said plainly

"You don't think I am too!"

"No like I freeze up and start having a panic attack Soph"

"Well in comparison to a camel spider this thing is a toy" Sophie just looked up at him. "There were camel spiders in Arabia"

"You might want to hurry up, I don't think Azaster looks all that happy about going back in a box" Nate pointed to Azaster who was now clicking his teeth and staring at them. Sophie got to the bed threw Azaster into the box slammed the lid shut and sat down with a sigh in a matter of seconds. Nate didn't move near her but instead leaned against the wall.

"I'll call Parker" She said her phone already in hand

**~The next day~**

Nate was in a bad mood and everyone knew it. He kept whining about everything making Hardison a very angry Hacker.

"What has got you in a tizzy man?" Hardison finally demanded

"In a tizzy? I woke up in the middle of the night to find a damn tarantula in my damn bed!" Nate yelled

Parker just looked down guiltily.

"Nate kinda doesn't like spiders" Sophie said awkwardly

"Ya think" Nate snorted

"Wait why was Parker's tarantula in your bed?" Eliot asked

"How the hell would I know? I'm sleeping peacefully and the next thing I know Azaster is staring down at me"

"I already said I'm sorry" Parker mumbled

"I could've had a panic attack Parker!" Nate yelled

Parker shrunk down in her seat. "I'm sorry!"

Nate opened his mouth again but Sophie roughly pulled him back. "She already said she was sorry Nate. Let it go"

Nate growled slightly and fixed his jacket before walking in the kitchen. Sophie and Eliot followed after. Hardison sat down next to Parker and gingerly put a hand on her shoulder. Suddenly Parker latched herself onto Hardison and nuzzled her head into his neck.

"Azaster is a domestic pet Hardison. He likes people" Parker muttered

"If you want I can go try and get comfortable with him" Hardison suggested

"You would do that?" Parker looked up at him with bright eyes

"Oh course Parker"

**~At Parker's 'house'~**

"Say hi Azaster!" Parker said when Hardison walked in

Hardison approached slowly and sat down next to Parker. Azaster was crawling on her legs and looked up and Hardison when he sat down.

"Still kinda freaks me out" Hardison said. He held his hand out in front of the spider. Azaster curiously looked at it and then rubbed his hand in the palm of Hardisons hand. He stiffened at the feel of the spiders furry head on his hand.

"I think he likes you" Parker whispered excitedly. Hardison smiled slightly and pet the spiders head. Azaster walked onto his leg and let Hardison pet him.

"Can he do tricks?" Hardison asked

Parker rolled her eyes. "He's not a dog, but he can climb walls and stuff. Azaster go climb the wall!"

Azaster looked back at her then crawled over to the make shift wall and started walking up it.

"That is so cool!" Hardison grinned

"See Hardison Azaster isn't all that bad!" Parker laughed. The spider crawled back down and over to Parker. She scooped him up and held him like a little dog in her arms.

"Where in the world did you get him?"

"I know a guy" Parker smiled


End file.
